Digging-machine



J. M. KINCADE. DIGGING MA'ICHINE. kPPLICATION FILED Nov. 8. 1918.

1,341,138, Patented May 25, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I l i J J. M. KINCADE. DIGGING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV-8,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented May 25, 1920.

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J. M. KINCADE. meme MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-8,1918.

I Patented May 25, 1920.

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LLhnMKL'noadq PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. KINCADE, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

DIGGING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Application filed November 8, 1918. Serial No. 261,748.

To all "whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN M. KINoADE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Digging-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to digging machines and is primarily adapted to digging graves.

An object of the invention is to mount the machine on a truck or other suitable vehicle which may be positioned over the surface where the grave is to be located and which may be readily adapted to any inclinations of the ground in order to position the digging mechanism to dig the walls of the grave in vertical alinement.

A further object is to provide a grave digging machine adapted to deliver the material removed from the grave to another vehicle, preferably a cemetery car such as is shown in my Patent No. 1,266,601, issued May 21, 1918, in order that the ground may be conveyed away from the grave temporarily and returned after the grave rites have been completed and the attendants have retired when the ground may be delivered into the grave direct from the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine adapted to dig rapidl in any kind of soil and to cut the walls of the grave clean and in true vertical alinement without requiring subsequent manual attention.

As far as I am aware I am the first to provide a practical grave digging machine of the character described in the specification and disclosed in the accompanying drawings.

While my invention is primarily intended to dig graves or square holes in the ground to any desired depths within certain limits, the invention is not limited to this one purpose, but may be employed in various modi fied forms of construction to other digging purposes, such as digging ditches, trenches, etc.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my digging machine with the digging mechanism in normal position above the ground, the entire number of the soil engaging devices being shown; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the machine; and

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken 011 the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. 7

Referring to the drawings, 1-1 are the front and rear trucks of the vehicle supporting the digging machine. The machine may 2-2 and 3-3 are the horizontal and ver-,

tical members, respectively, of the vertical frame mounted on trucks 1-1. This frame is constructed of heavy material in a manner to make it exceedingly rigid to withstand the vibrations and strains from the digging mechanism supported thereon.

1-4; and 5-5 are horizontal and vertical members, respectively, of a second rectangular frame supported upon and movable vertically within fixed limitations in the frame 2-2 and 3-3. The vertical members 5 are provided with teeth (3 preferably integral with the members 5, but which may be made separate and attached to the members 5 in any suitable manner. The teeth 6 extend substantially the entire length of the members 5, thereby providing for the maxi mum amount of vertical movement thereof within the frame 2-3.

Supported in bearings 7 upon frame 2-3 are shafts 8 to which are secured, preferably made integral with the shafts, pinions 9 meshing with rack bars 5 and coacting therewith to move the frame 1-5 vertically within the frame 2-3. Attached to the outer ends of the shafts 8 are cranks 10 and ratchets 11 adapted respectively to actuate the shafts and lock the same against further movement when the frame 41-5 has been raised or lowered to any desired extent. The rat-chets may be of any well known con struction, but I prefer to use what is com monly known as a two-way locking ratchet and I have shown a ratchet of that character in the drawings.

It will be observed that by means of the vertical rack bars which constitute a part of frame 4-5 and the shafts and pinions for actuating the same, the frame may be raised and lowered in a substantially vertical plane and by means of the two-way ratchets, as

above noted, the frame may. be held against further movement in either direction until the ratchets are again released.

Frame 4c-5 is further provided with sprockets 12 secured to the outer ends of shafts 13 having bearings in the frame adjacent the corners thereof. Between each upper and lower set of sprockets 12 are idle sprockets 14c, the purpose of which in connection with the sprockets 12 will presently beexplained. Sleeves 15 are interposed between the inner frame members 3 andthe frame members 5 upon shafts 8 which act as guides for the frame in its vertical travel and serve to prevent lateral movement thereof.

Surrounding frame 4-5 and traveling over the sprockets 12 and 1 1 is an endless carrier 15 comprised of chains 16, cross bars 17, soil cutting devices 18 and 19 and soil removing devices or buckets 20. The bars 1? and devices 20 are secured to the chains and the soil cutting devices to the bars 17 in any suitable manner. The soil cutting devices 18' are provided with a straight side cutting edge 21 for a purpose which will directly be explained;

At the rear end of frame 23 the main drive shaft 22 is supported in bearings 23. Secured to one end of the drive shaft is a pulley 2 1 to which power may be transmitted and cause the carrier to travel about frame Thus, it will be observed that the endless carrier and soil engaging devices attached thereto have continuous travel about frame 4-5 and that the soil cutting and soil removing devices are caused to engage the soil during that portion of their travel which is in a horizontal plane on the under side of the machine. The soil cutting devices 18 and 19 serve to loosen the soil in advance of the buckets 20 which may then readily lift the loosened soil and remove it in their upward travel with the carrier.

It will be observed that the cutting devices 18 extend laterally beyond chains 16 and frame 4-5 and also slightly beyond the buckets 20. Thus, the carrier is made self clearing in the opening that is being cut in the ground and the frame is free on all sides to be projected therein. The straight outer edges of the cutters 1S serve to cut the side walls of the opening in the ground smooth and straight and in true vertical alinement.

This also results with respect to the end walls, the forward edges of the devices 20 serving'to true the end walls vertically by contacting with the walls in their up and down; travel with the carrier.

At the forward end of the machine disposed in a vertical plane adjacent the plane of downward travel of carrier 15 is a second carrier 26 traveling over sprockets 27 secured to shafts 28 having hearings in the frame 2-3. This carrier comprises chains 29 to which are attached buckets 30, adapted to receive the soil carried up by the buckets 20 and discharge the same to a hopper 31 from which the soil may be delivered through chutes 32 to a cemetery car or wagon or to the adjacent ground.

Secured to one end of upper shaft 28 a pulley to which movement is transmitted from a pulley 34; carried on the shaft 22 through a belt It may be desirable at times to adapt the machine to different kinds or conditions of soil, to change the speed of carrier 26 relative to the speed of carrier 15. For this purpose I elongate the pulley 33 to approximately twice the width of the belt 26 and provide a second pulley 36 on the shaft 22 to which the belt may readily be shifted. A belt adjuster 37 is employed to take up the slack of the belt under all speeds of operation.

In further reference to frame 1-5 it will be apparent from the foregoing detail description that the frame may be projected downwardly step by step by means of cranks 10 and ratchets 11 and that pressure may be imparted thereto to force the soil cutting devices into the ground to any desired depth. \Vhere the soil is comparative]v loose and free from obstructions the ratchets may be released entirely and the frame permitted to float; or moved entirely by gravity upon the shafts S and gears 9, the weight of the frame acting to force the cutters into the ground as the depth of the hole increases. The points of the cutting devices 18 and '19 project beyond the lower edge of the buckets 20 in order that the latter may engage, with the loosened soil only.

It is obvious, of course, that the soil removing devices 20 may be made to serve the double purpose of cutting or loosening the soil and ren'ioving it as well. This would require only to provide the lower edges of the buckets with projections or cutters to engage and loosen the soil which would then be lifted up and removed by the buckets from the hole.

I have also provided on the vertical frame members 3 a gage coacting with the lower edge of cross frame member l to indicate the depth to which frame -l--5 has been projected into the ground.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing detail description that my invention coiisists of a portable digging machine which will dig a rectangular hole or rectangular trench into the ground; that it is readily adaptable to the ordinary inclinations of the ground; that the side and end wallsof su h opening in the ground will bein true vertical alinement; that the opening in the ground may be made within reasonable limits to any desired depth, such as the ordinary depth of a rave.

[he preferred arrangement of my digging machine consists of an endless carrier provided with soil cutting and soil removing devices and traveling over a frame which may be projected step by step vertically into the opening in the ground to cause the soil engaging devices to loosen and remove the soil therefrom and deliver it to a second carrier which, in turn, discharges the soil into a hopper from which it may be delivered to a cemetery car or wagon or to the ad 'acent ground.

do far as I am aware I am the first to provide a machine of this character and I wish to claim broadly, therefore, the various organizations of my invention as illustrated in the drawings and set forth in the accompanying claims, but I desire to be understood that I do not consider my invention as being limited to the exact construction shown in the drawings and described in the specification. Various modifications may be made of the construction shown without departing from the principles of my inven tion.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the. character described, the combination, with a vertically supported frame, an endless carrier movable on said frame, soil engaging devices attached to the carrier and adapted to dig a rectangular-shaped opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, means to positively force the frame downward to cause said devices to penetrate the soil to increasing depth, a stationary gage coope 'ating with a member of said frame to indicate the extent of said downward movement, and means to actuate the carrier to cause said devices to remove the soil in advance of the downward movement of said frame.

In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a. vertically supported frame, an endless carrier movable on said frame, soil engaging devices attached to the carrier and adapted to dig a rectangular-shaped opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame. oppositely disposed racks and gears cooperating with the frame to positively force the frame downwardly to cause the weight thereof to force said devices to enter the soil to gradually increasing depth, and means to actuate the carrier to cause said devices to remove the soil in advance of said frame.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a rectangular frame comprising a plurality of vertically disposed racks, gears supported to coact with said racks to impart movement to the frame, an endless carrier movable over the frame, soil engaging devices attached to the carrier and adapted to dig a rectangularshaped opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, means to actuate the gears to project said frame downwardly to cause said devices to contact with the soil, and means to actuate the carrier to cause said devices to remove the soil in a horizontal plane in advance of the downward movement of said frame.

t. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a rectangular frame comprising a rack, a gear and shaft coacting with. the rack to impart step by step movement to the frame, an endless carrier movable over the frame, soil engaging devices attached to the carrier and adapted to dig a rectangular-shaped opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, means to actuate the gear to project said frame downwardly to cause said devices to contact with the soil, and means to actuate the carrier to cause said devices to remove the soil in a horizontal plane in advance of the downward movement of said frame.

5. In a machine of the chaacter described, the combination, with a rectangular frame comprising a rack, a gear and shaft coacting with the rack to impart step by step movement to the frame, a ratchet to lock the gear, an endless carrier movable over the frame, soil engaging devices attached to the carrier and adapted to dig a rectangular-shaped opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, a crank to actuate the gear to project said frame downwardly to cause said devices to contact with the soil, and means to actuate the carrier to cause said devices to remove the soil.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a support, an endless carrier adapted to travel in vertical and horizontal planes and to be projected downavardly, soil removing devices attached to the carrier and adapted to dig a rectangularshaped opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, and a second carrier traveling in a plane adjacent and substantially parallel to the plane of travel of the first carrier, said devices coacting to deliver the soil to the second carrier.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a support, an endless carrier adapted to travel in vertical and horizontal planes, and to be projected downwardly, soil removing devices attached to the carrier and adapted to dig a rectangular-shaped opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, and a second carrier traveling in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the first carrier in a plane adjacent and parallel to the vertical plane of travel thereof and and adapted to dig a rectangular-shaeei opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, means to maneuver the truck to position said frames vertically over the soil to be removed, manually "operable means on opposite sides of said frame to positively project the movable frame downwardly to cause said devices to enter the soil to increasing depth and means to actuate the carrier and the devices thereon to remove the soil in a horizontal plane to a-predetermined depth.

9. In a machine of the character described,- the' combination, with a portable vehicle comprising a supporting frame, a frame movably mounted on the supporting frame,

an endless carrier on said movable frame, soil removing devices attached to the carrier-and adapted to dig a rectangular-shaped opening in the ground limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, a second carrier on said supporting frame cooperating with the first carrier to receive the soil therefrom, means to maneuver the truck to position said frames vertically over the soil to be removed, manually operable means on opposite sides of said frame to positively project the movable frame downwardly, and means to actuate the first carrier and the devices thereon to remove the soil in a horizontal plane to a predetermined depth and to deliver the same to the second carrier.

10. In a machine of the character described, the combination, with a support, an endless carrier movable in said support and adapted to be positively projected downwardly with the frame, soil removing devices attached to the carrier and adapted to remove the soil in a horizontal plane to a pre determined depth over an area limited by the fixed dimensions of said frame, a gage cooperating with a member of said frame to indicate the increasing depth of the opening in the ground thus formed, and chutes located adjacent the second carrier, the second carrier being adapted to receive the soil from the first carrier and to deliver the same to the chutes.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JOHN M. KINCADE. 

